Everyone says District 9 is sensational, and they are all correct. I won't go on about the plot or the political themes in the movie.

But, some observations: As the movie begins, you share the Johannesburgers disgust with the Prawns -- the alien refugees -- who are shown urinating in public, digging through garbage and acting obnoxious. They look like walking lobsters. One is shown absurdly wearing a pink bra. Then something happens and the audience reverses its sympathies. And I can tell you the moment it happens.

The government's patience with the aliens has run out, so the corporation Multi-National United (MNU) gets the contract to handle the problem -- but MNU mostly just wants the aliens' weaponry. The MNU mercs, who drive around in armored vehicles blowing up aliens, snarl all their dialogue. An MNU field operative named Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley) is contaminated with some sort of alien biological goo, and he begins to mutate. Shift to the lab where MNU is testing an alien weapon -- with Van De Merwe's hand/claw on the trigger. They bring in a hapless alien with an X painted on his back and put him up against a wall. You can see that the poor creature is terrified. You think, oh no, they aren't gonna do what I think they're gonna do. They are. Van De Merwe refuses to cooperate and is screaming, but the lab docs force him to comply.

I submit that this is the most important moment in the movie because the aliens are put in a whole new light and the audience now takes their side.

As the movie progresses from here, we get to know the main alien, who is not called Mongo or Zorg, but Christopher Johnson (played by Jason Cope). He has a small son who's kinda cute. Also, he walks and stands like a man, not like other aliens who tend to sway. And he's a scientist out to rescue his species. We are so on this guy's side.

Van De Merwe's character arc is this movie is amazing. He goes from preening twit in the beginning to a rampaging warrior at the end. Tremendous performance. I want to see more of this actor.

The CGI on display here sets a new standard.

Parts of District 9 will remind you of lots of other movies, but mark my words, in the future it will be other movies that remind you of District 9.

Add to this an ending that will bring a lump to your throat and you have one for the history books.

And there'd better be a sequel because there's plenty of unfinished business.